Four Baseball Cards Every Collector Needs to Have
You can still buy baseball cards today, but they aren’t nearly as prevalent now as they were back in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. The world has mostly gone digital, and for that reason, there are now a ton of freshly minted cards sitting unopened on warehouse pallets.
Sure, it’s a sad state of affairs, but the world moves on. If you, however, are still a serious collector, then there are a few that you will most definitely want to make sue are sitting in your deck. Let’s go through four of them.
Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.
Year: 1989
If you grew up in the 80’s then you already know this card, there’s really no question about it. In fact, even if you aren’t really a fan of baseball there’s still a chance that you’ve seen this one. In order for a card to be rare, there have to be fewer of them available, which you already knew, but this Upper Deck card was printed en masse as part of a deal with Griffey.
In 1989, Upper Deck wasn’t a serious competitor in the baseball card arena, but with Griffey’s help, they became a household name. It was a gamble, it paid off, and now Ken Griffey Jr. is a face any collector will see in their deck. Because there were so many of these in circulation, they aren’t worth much as far as monetary value is concerned, but the meaning behind them is priceless.
Goudey Lou Gehrig
Year: 1934
Everyone knows the name of Lou Gehrig, but what they might not realize is that there are two important cards floating around out there. One of them actually has his endorsement-testimony, and if you have it, then it will be #37. This card is much more appealing than the other in the set as it has brighter colors and a more aesthetically pleasing version of Gehrig.
Goudey Babe Ruth
Year: 1933
In the Goudey set, there are four Babe Ruth cards with #144 being the most noteworthy. It’ honestly the best looking of the four, and as a result, it’s the one that everyone is looking for. Monetarily, it’s probably the most stable investment, at least as far as baseball cards are concerned.
Topps Mickey Mantle
Year: 1952
Mickey Mantle is a name that has been immortalized in more ways than one. Starting with his stellar career, all the way to a mention in Billy Joel’s smash hit: we didn’t start the fire. Then you have his baseball card from Topps, which is a rare one from the 1952 high number series, and it’s even considered a rookie card, despite the fact that Mantle’s first card appearance was in 1951. The ’52 probably looks a lot better than the ’51, honestly, and overall, this is probably one of the most important cards for you to have in your collection.
Baseball cards might not be the hobby of choice for Americans these days, but they’re still pretty awesome to have, and if you’re going to build a collection, make sure you have the best.